Apparatus for advancing like elongated finishing bars



July 30, 1963 e. E. ALGATT ETAL 3,099,348

APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING LIKE ELONGATED FINISHING BARS Filed June 2, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTUQEI' r: E. ULE'QT'T' LL]. G U'T'T'U July 30, 1963 G. E. ALGATT ET AL APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING LIKE ELONGATED FINISHING BARS Filed June 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 30, 1963 G. E. ALGATT EI'AL 3,099,348

APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING LIKE ELONGATED FINISHING BARS Filed June 2, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE'N'T'UR'E' EE'. FYLJEHT'T' LL/. 5-. 'T'TU I 'TTUQNE'I:

United States Patent 3,099,348 APPARATUd FDR ADVANCING LIKE ELONGATED FTNESHHNG BARS George E. Algatt, Allentown, and Willard G. Otto,

Schnecksville, Pa, assignors to Western Electric Company, incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,440 4 Claims. ((31. 198-213) This invention relates to apparatus for advancing like elongated finishing bars, particularly bars for use in finishing switchboard lamps to be moved intermittently through an operating area.

In a system for finishing lamps, such as switchboard lamps shown in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 114,438, filed June 2, 1961, starting with finished lamp bulbs mounted at equally spaced positions in a series of aligned bars, the bars must be advanced longitudinally in series through an opera-ting area so that operations may be performed on the lamps. In the present instance, these operations include forming and mounting terminals on one side of each lamp, subsequently finishing and mounting terminals on the other side of each lamp and then depositing a dielectric cement on each lamp to space and support outer ends of the terminals. Therefore, it is essential that a series of bars, identical in structure with finishing positions or article supporting positions located accurately equal distances apart, not only throughout the length of each bar, but throughout the length of a series of bars brought about by the end to end engagement of the bars in the series, may be advanced repeatedly through the operating area.

The object of the invention is an apparatus which, although simple in structure, is highly eflicient in advancing article finishing bars longitudinally through an operating area.

In accordance with the object, the invention comprises a track, for a series of bars, fixedly mounted in and extending longitudinally through the operating area and a connector for each bar in the series, positioned to engage like apertures aligned with the article supporting positions in each bar and associated with means to move the connectors laterally to advance the bars simultaneously longitudinally through the operating area.

More specifically, the apparatus includes like pins for the connectors actuated by like individual cams mounted on a cam shaft to move the pins simultaneously into like apertures of their respective bars and retain this connection while a longitudinal element supporting all of the pins is moved longitudinally in one direction to advance the bars simultaneously in a feeding direction. This action of the element is brought about through the aid of a cam mounted on the cam shaft and adapted to reciprocate the element, the cams for the pins being of sufiicient width to allow lateral movement of the pins or the cam followers carried thereby. Also, means is connected to each of the individual cams to engage projections adjacent the cam followers to provide a positive movement of the pins out of their apertures in the bars prior to the return movement of the element.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2, when placed end to end as illustrated in FIG. 3, will illustrate a front elevational view of the apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of the track, one of the connectors and its operating cam.

After joining FIGS. 1 and 2, as illustrated in FIG. 3, it will be apparent that there are five article finishing bars in operative association with the apparatus and 3,099,348 Patented July 30, 1963 another bar approaching from the left through any suitable advancing means, not shown, to continue the grouping together end to end of a series of five bars making a new bar ready to enter the series when the leading bar is ready to leave the series. The abutting ends of the bars are indicated at 11 while the article and its supporting postions 12 in the bars are spaced equally throughout each bar and throughout any series of bars so that the advancing means for the bars may function efficiently through the association of apertures 14 extending upwardly from the bottom surfaces of the bars in alignment with each of the articles and their supporting or finishing positions 12.

The bars, in actual practice, are of the structure shown in detail in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 114,441, filed June 2, 1961, wherein the bars have 32 article or lamp bulb supporting positions with aligned apertures extending upwardly from the bottom surfaces of the bars. In the present illustration, for the sole purpose of clarity, the bars 111 are made shorter and illustrate only 15 article supporting positions in each bar.

The apparatus has an elongated table 15 on which a track 16 is mounted. At five equally spaced positions in the table 15 and the track 16, aligned elongated apertures 17 and 18 are formed to receive pin-like connectors 20 spring supported and cushioned in apertured upper ends of rods 21 and receivable in the apertures 14 of the bars. An elongated reciprocable element 23 is positioned beneath the table and supported by guides 24 apertured to receive the element and mounted on the undersurface of the table by means 25. Like sleeves 26, having enlarged heads 27 at their lower ends and elongated notches 28 at their upper ends, are disposed in apertures 29 in the element 23 and are fixed against movement relative to the element by pins 30. The rods 21 for the connectors 20 extend downwardly through the sleeves 26 where their lower ends are fixed to yokes 31 carrying spindles 3 2 to support rollers 33 which may be termed cam followers.

Pins 34, extending through the connector rods 21, ride in the elongated apertures 28 to permit vertical movements of the connectors but to hold the connectors against rotation in the sleeve 26. The connectors 211, with their associated structures, are positioned to enter "like apertures 14 in each bar in the series of bars. By this, it is meant that when the leading bar is positioned with its first aperture in alignment with its connector 20, the first aperture of each of the succeeding bars will be aligned with their respective connector 2t As illustrated in 7 FIGS. 1 and 2, the connectors are now in registration with the last apertures in their respective bars. The spring cushions beneath connectors 20 in the rods 21 will allow upward movement of the rods prior to alignment of the apertures 14 with the connectors.

Each connector rod 21 is provided with a spring 4% disposed concentric therewith and interposed between the head 27 and the yoke 31 normally urging the cam follower or roller 33 into engagement with its respective cam 41. The earns 41 are mounted on a cam shaft 42 and are of sufiieient width to permit lateral movements of the connector rods 21 and their cam followers 33 while remaining under the control of the cams.

In the present illustration, the cam followers 33 are riding on high portions of the cams 41 where they will continue to ride during lateral movements thereof through longitudinal movement of the element 23 and, at points where they are about to leave the high portions of their cams, the spindles 32 will extend beyond the right sides or surfaces of the cams 4-1 for engagement with auxiliary cams 44, carried by the cam 41. In FIG. 4, the auxiliary cam 44 engages the spindle 32 of the follower 33 to provide a positive downward movement of the connector rods 21, a distance sufficient to assure removal of the connectors 20 from the aperture :14- of the bar. This means removes any possibility of any of the connectors Zll becoming stuck in an aperture 14 and disturbing the suc-' cessful operation of the apparatus. This is of the utmost importance due to the fact that the series of bars is advanced rapidly each second through the operating area.

The driving means for the cam shaft 42 includes a motor 46 having a shaft 47 connected to a drive gear 48 through a clutch 49 and a driven shaft 50 to drive a gear 51 mounted on the cam shaft 42. A handwheel 52, mounted on the cam shaft, serves for manually rotating the cam shaft in setting the various cams to condition the apparatus for operation. The adjacent portion of the cam shaft and the motor shaft 47, as well as a driven shaft 50, are supported by suitable bearings 53 mounted in brackets 54 secured to the undersurface of the table 15. Other brackets 55 with bearings 56 are supported by the table 15.

The means to cause reciprocation of the element 23 to advance the series of bars simultaneously the distance between the centers of the article supporting positions, includes a drum-type cam 58 mounted on the cam shaft 42 and having a cam groove 59 receiving and acting upon a cam follower 60 which is supported by a spindle 61 fixedly mounted on the element 23.

Operation The bars 10 are fed onto the entrance end of the track 16 at the left of FIG. 1 and the track is substantially filled with the series of five bars so that they may be moved in unison through the operating area where an operating unit 65, mounted on one side of the track, finishes and mounts terminals on one side of each of the lamp bulbs or articles 12,. A unit 66, mounted on the other side of the track, completes and mounts terminals on the other side of each article or lamp bulb and finally, a unit 67 deposits a quantity of dielectric cement on the upper end of each lamp bulb to support upper ends of the terminals.

The motor 46 is driven at a predetermined speed to drive the cam shaft 42 one cycle for each second. Actually, the moving means requires but a fraction of a second to advance the series of bars simultaneously so that during the major portion of each second, the bars are caused to remain at rest in the operating area for the operating cycles of the units 65, 66, and 67. Actually, the final portions of the operating cycles of the units are performed after the bars have completed their advancing movements and, while they are at rest, it being important, however, that the timing of the operation of the apparatus be linked definitely with the operating units.

During the first portion of each operating cycle of the apparatus, the high portions of the cams 41 start their movement under the followers 33 of the connector rods 21 to move the connector rods upwardly to position their connectors 20 in like apertures 14- of the five bars in this series of bars in the track 16. As soon as this has been accomplished, the cam 58 moves the element 23, with all of the connectors to the right, the distance between the centers of the article supporting positions and also between the centers of the apertures 14-, at which time the cam followers 33 are about to leave the high portions of their cams 41, and the auxiliary cams 44 engage the spindles 32 providing a positive downward pull to assist the springs 49 in pulling the reduced ends of the connectors out of the apertures 14 as the followers 33 move into engagement with the lower portions of their cams 41.

This operation continues causing the connectors to engage like apertures 14- in each of the bars in the series so that as the leading bar in each instance is moved out of the series, the connector at the far left in FIG. 1, will pick up the next bar to enter the series and continue this action to advance all of the bars during second intervals, the advancing means utilizing only a fraction of each second to bring about the advancement of this series of bars.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall Within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus. for advancing a series of elongated article supporting bars longitudinally end to end through an operating area having spaced operating units therein, the bars having equally spaced article supporting positions and associated apertures disposed longitudinally of the bars, the apparatus comprising a table having spaced elongated apertures therein, an elongated track for the series of bars mounted on the table and having elongated apertures therein disposed in alignment with the apertures of the table, an elongated element disposed beneath the table parallel with the track, means to support the element for reciprocable movement, a connector for each bar in the series of bars supported by the element for reciprocation laterally therewith, extending through its elongated apertures in the table and track and adapted for longitudinal reciprocation into and out of successive apertures in the bars, a continuously driven cam shaft, and a cam for each connector mounted on the cam shaft and having widths sufficient to maintain operative connection with the connectors during longitudinal reciprocation of the element and lateral reciprocation of the connectors.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which a cam follower is mounted on the element, and a cam mounted on the cam shaft and adapted to move the follower in timed relation with the longitudinal reciprocation of the connectors.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which lateral projections are carried by the connectors, and auxiliary cams carried by the cams and positioned to engage the projections at given intervals during the cycles of the cams to pull the connectors out of the apertures of the bars.

4. An apparatus for advancing like separate elongated article finishing bars longitudinally through an operating area having spaced operating units therein, the bars having article supporting positions and associated apertures equally spaced throughout the lengths of all the bars, the apparatus comprising a track for the bars fixedly mounted in and extending longitudinally through the operating area adjacent the operating units, a connector for each of a plurality of bars extending through elongated apertures of the track, means operable to move the connectors simultaneously into and out of like apertures of their respective bars, means to move the connectors simultaneously a given distance when disposed in the like apertures to advance the bars a given distance simultaneously to successively .advance the article supporting positions successively to the operating units, the means for moving the connectors including an elongated element disposed substantially parallel with the track, means to support the element for longitudinal reciprocable movement, means carried by the bar to support all of the connectors at their respective spaced positions, a cam shaft mounted for rotation in a position adjacent the element, means for rotating the cam shaft continuously, a cam mounted on the cam shaft, and a follower mounted on the element and actuated by the cam through repeated operating cycles to reciprocate the element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,586,630 Erland et a1 Feb. 19, 1952 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR ADVANCING A SERIES OF ELONGATED ARTICLE SUPPORTING BARS LONGITUDINALLY END TO END THROUGH AN OPERATING AREA HAVING SPACED OPERATING UNITS THEREIN, THE BARS HAVING EQUALLY SPACED ARTICLE SUPPORTING POSITIONS AND ASSOCIATED APERTURES DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE BARS, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING A TABLE HAVING SPACED ELONGATED APERTURES THEREIN, AN ELONGATED TRACK FOR THE SERIES OF BARS MOUNTED ON THE TABLE AND HAVING ELONGATED APERTURES THEREIN DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES OF THE TABLE, AN ELONGATED ELEMENT DISPOSED BENEATH THE TABLE PARALLEL WITH THE TRACK, MEANS TO SUPPORT THE ELEMENT FOR 